Monday, July 7, 2014

Christmas TV Party 2014: Dixon Hayes at TV When I Was Born

1) What is the first Christmas special you remember watching?Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I even remember the GE commercials and always wondered if Rudolph's shiny nose was meant to remind people of GE's Christmas lights. As I grew older I realized the special's theme, about how everyone fits in sooner or later, in spite of, or perhaps *because* of, what makes them different, resonated with me.

2) Name one Christmas program/movie you enjoy watching all year round.It's a Wonderful Life. Call me corny, but that may be the closest Hollywood ever came to making a movie that stands for everything I believe in.

3) Name one overlooked, or under-appreciated Christmas program.WKRP in Cincinnati, "Jennifer's Home for Christmas" (December 17, 1979). I don't hear this one discussed very much yet it's one of the laugh-out-loud funniest episodes I've ever seen, plus has a very sweet theme to it that tosses aside the "Christmas Carol" or "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Visit from Santa...or was it?" variations that populated sitcom plots up to that point. Everyone showing up at Jennifer's with a Christmas tree, except Herb ("Sorry, Herb, can't get in without a tree!") just cracks me up and touches my heart at the same time.(The following year, WKRP would go back to the old "Christmas Carol" well.)

l to right: Mel Tormé, Judy, and Jack Jones on the 1963 Christmas episode of The Judy Garland Show

Dixon, cool name, by the way! Loved your choice for fave movie year round. There isn't anything out there that is more deeply beautiful, in my opinion! It's a Wonderful Life will forever and always be my Christmas Movie favorite! It wouldn't feel like Christmas without it!